Kids & Community Leaders "Lend A Hand" as Construction Begins on New All Children's Hospital

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:
Ann Miller, Media Relations
(727) 767-8592

News Release

May 16, 2005 (St. Petersburg, FL) The construction fence on the site where a new All Children's Hospital will be taking shape got a custom paint job today - May 16, 2005. Colorful handprints were placed on the fence by community leaders, patients, families and staff as part of a Construction Kick-Off Celebration.

"This is a symbolic way for everyone to 'lend a hand' in support of the new hospital," explained Gary Carnes, President & CEO of All Children's Health System. "We are excited to be embarking on the construction phase. When completed in 2008, the new All Children's Hospital will provide space for us to grow with the changing demands and technologies of pediatric subspecialty care for decades to come."

Many of those who attended today's celebration at the corner of Sixth Street and Sixth Avenue South in St. Petersburg have been part of the 18-month planning process for the new hospital. Members of the Parent Advisory Group and the Patient Design Group contributed their suggestions, as did Hospital Board members, physicians and staff.

Renderings on display at the Kick-Off Celebration show a nine-story children's hospital with an adjacent Outpatient Care Center to house a full array of outpatient diagnostics (MRI, open MRI, CT and PET/CT), rehabilitative & therapy services as well as doctors' offices for outpatient visits. Covered parking for 1,000 vehicles is planned, adjoining both the hospital and the outpatient center.

Other features of the $294 - million project include:

• 240 pediatric beds

• Individual patient rooms with space for two parents to stay overnight

• Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) with space for 96 infants

• Maternity services and well-baby care provided by Bayfront Medical Center, just one floor away from the All Children's NICU.

• Large Pediatric Emergency Center, plus a helipad where the Bayflite helicopter - with ACH transport crew aboard - can bring patients to All Children's

• A Patient Schoolroom and Family Resource Library

• Space for additional services from the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Tampa Bay.

Plans for All Children's existing hospital building are still under discussion, with a commitment to continuing its use in some aspect of healthcare. Throughout its forty-year history, the current All Children's Hospital has stood in testament to the community's support of specialized care for its children. The new All Children's Hospital provides an opportunity for a new generation to demonstrate its support of cutting-edge care for tomorrow's young patients.

Human Resources is a program under All Children's Hospital. All Children's Hospital
is the only specialty licensed children's hospital on Florida's west coast. Founded in
1926, All Children's has grown into a leading pediatric referral center that is
dedicated to advancing treatment, education, research and advocacy in child health.